Apparatus for cross cutting traveling strip materials



A ril 26, 1966 w. F. HUCK ET AL APPARATUS FOR CROSS CUTTING TRAVELINGSTRIP MATERIALS Filed May 11, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HHum April 26, 1966w, uc ET AL 3,247,744

APPARATUS FOR CROSS CUTTING TRAVELING STRIP MATERIALS Filed May 11, 19644 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

INVENTORS l GEORGE N. SANDOR BY WILLIAM F. HUCK ORNEY April 26, 1966 w,uc ET AL APPARATUS FOR CROSS CUTTING TRAVELING STRIP MATERIALS Filed May11, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS GEORGE N- SANDOR WILLIAM F- HUCK ATTApril 26, 1966 w. F. HUCK ET AL APPARATUS FOR GROSS CUTTING TRAVELINGSTRIP MATERIALS Filed May 11, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR GEORGEN.5AND R I M F- HUCK BYWILL A QWMR United States Patent 3,247,744APPARATUS FOR CROSS CUTTING TRAVELING STRIP MATERIALS William F. Huck,81 Greenway Terrace, Forest Hills 75, N.Y., and George N. Sandor,Mamaroneck, N.Y.; said Sandor assignor to said Huck, doing business asHuck Company, New York, N.Y.

Filed May 11, 1 964, Ser. No. 366,416

13 Claims. (Cl. 83-107) This invention relates to apparatus for crosscutting traveling strip materials to sever them into repetitive lengthsor sections having evenly cut edges. The invention is applicable to thecutting of various materials having the form of continuous strips orbundles of strips, whether made of paper, cloth, felt, metal or plasticfoil, or other cuttable material. It is more particularly related,however, to apparatus for cross cutting collections of printed webs orribbons employed in the production of booklets, magazines or the like.

In the production of booklets and magazines, the material from which thebooklet or magazine is to be formed is customarily unwound in web formfrom one or more supply rolls and then printed, slit into ribbons ofstandard page length and thereafter collated. The collection of ribbonsis fed at press speed through a cross cutting mechanism which severs ittransversely at regular intervals to form cut sections which are foldedinto groups known as signatures. The signatures thereafter are stapledor bound and delivered as finished magazines or books, when productshaving rough edges are acceptable.

The cross cutting mechanisms currently employed in work of this typeproduce rough and uneven edges which give the folded printed products anunattractive appearance. This uneven edge condition is not commerciallyacceptable in the case of books and magazines of high quality. For thisreason, it is customary in the production of such publications to removethe signatures from the delivery end of the printing press, stack themupon skids and transport them to other locations where they areunloaded, jogged in stacks and placed upon semiautomatic trimmingmachines, all by manual labor. These machines then trim the ends of thesignatures and the side opposite their folded edge, giving them squarededges having a commercially acceptable appearance. Al-

' though this trimming operation is done semi-automatically and at agood production rate, it is nevertheless time constuning and costlybecause of the very considerable amount of handling, manual labor andpaper waste involved.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forcross cutting traveling strip materials by which the moving materials,though of very considerable thickness and traveling at high speed, canbe cut through crosswise to form cut lines or edges which lie evenly ata desired angle, such as perpendicularly, to the faces of the materials.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a cross cuttingapparatus which will attach to a printing press or other web processingmachine and operate in unison with it to cross cut collated printed webmaterials as they are delivered by the machine and convert themcontinuously into severed sections which are so squarely and cleanly cutas to form acceptable booklets, magazines or like products of highquality without need for further trimming.

A further object is to provide a continuously operated rotary crosscutting apparatus which is effective to sever continuously moving stripmaterials of considerable thickness, at any deired speed of movement ofthe material, into sections having a squareness and evenness of the cutedges equal or superior to that obtained by the use of stationarytrimming machines.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system ofconveyors and grippers for carrying the strip material to and throughthe cutting zone of the cross cutting cylinders and for carrying awaythe separate sections formed by the cross cutting operations.

According to the present invention, .a suitable cutting means, forexample a knife of blade form, is mounted on a continuously rotatingcarrier by which the knife is moved periodically through a cutting zoneelongated in the direction of the movement of the strip material to becut, through which zone the material is fed continuously in asubstantially straight path, and during each orbital pass of the knifethrough the cutting zone the knife is moved bodily relative to thecarrier and across the path of the strip material by means rotated withthe carrier which maintain the cutting edge of the knife, throughout itstravel in said path, in a cutting path or plane lying at a constantangle to the material and advancing through said zone tangentially tothe path of the carrier at a linear speed in the direction of themovement of the strip material that is kept precisely equal to the speedof the material and in a constant proportion to the angular speed of thecarrier. through the cutting zone and holding the cutting edge of anorbiting knife blade in a plane perpendicular to the material, the knifeis caused to cut through the material entirely at right angles thereto,thus producing in each pass through said zone a cross cut or series ofcuts quite perpendicular to the faces of the material.

According to another feature of the invention, the knife is movedthrough the strip material at a speed that is kept constant in thedirection of its cutting motion, so that it cuts through the material ata constant rate proporionate to the rotational speed of the carrier.This rate can be selected to give assurance that clean square cuts willbe made at either low or high speeds of the material and even though thematerial being out forms a body of very considerable thickness, as inthe case of an assemblage or collection of many ribbons of printed paperpassing together from collating apparatus to be formed into booklets,magazines, or the like.

The knife on the rotary knife carrier cuts through the strip material bya compressive cutting action against the resistance of a backing memberwhich presents in the cutting zone an anvil or backing surface movingwith the material at the side of the material opposite to the sidethereof occupied by the knife carrier. For con tinuous operations athigh speed, the backing member is mounted on a second carrier whichrotates counter to the knife carrier and carries means operative as itrotates to move the anvil surface through the cutting zone in thedirectionof and in continuing engagement with the strip material at alinear speed which, like that of the knife, is precisely equal to thespeed of the strip material.

According to a further feature of the invention, the backing member onthe second carrier is formed as a clamping member to coact with aclamping member provided on the knife carrier. As the two carriers arerotated the respective clamping members converge in the cutting zone toclamp the strip material tightly between them, and then are movedthrough said zone in continued clamping relation to the material, in thesame direction as the material and at a speed precisely equal to thespeed of the material. In this way, the strip material is gripped andheld relatively rigid at a location fixed relative to the cutting pathof the knife, so that the knife cuts through the material not merelywith a compressive cutting action but also with a shearing action acrossthe part of the material gripped by the clamping members. The shearing.

By feeding the material in a straight path action is conducive to theproduction of a clean, evenly cut edge.

The clamping members can be formed to present lateral surfaces alignedin a planecontiguous to a face of the knife, against which surfaces theknife is pressed during its cutting movement so that it will be guidedpositively in the desired cutting plane and will cut largely with shearaction across the part of the material gripped by the clamping members.

In an alternative construction, the backing member on the second carriercomprises an anvil in the form of a cutting block which is held againstthe strip material at a location across the cutting path of the knife,so as to sustain the cut of the knife. This cutting block preferably ismade of a rigid substance soft enough to be penetrable by the knife atthe end of its cutting stroke, such as closely grained hardwood.

Such a cutting block advantageously is a part or an extension of abacking member having a clamping portion that coacts with a clampingmember on the knife carrier as above described. In this case, however,the clamping member on the knife carrier is the only one to be providedwith a lateral surface for guiding the knife, and the cutting action islargely compressive.

According to still another feature of the invention, which may beadvantageous when the strip material is relatively thick and stronglyresistant to the cutting action, complementary positioning elementswhich move in fixed positions relative to the knife and the backingmember, respectively, are arranged to interengage and hold those partspositively in accurate alignment during their movement into and throughthe cutting zone. By providing interfitting male and female elements forthis purpose, the positioning elements are made to move into and out ofengagement as the knife is onbited into and out of the cutting zone. Forexample, one of the positioning elements may have the form of a yokecarrying rollers in its arms; and the other the form of a tooth fittinginto the space between the rollers.

For the purpose of carrying the strip material to and through thecutting zone of knife and anvil cylinders and carrying away the separatesections cut successively from the material, the apparatus may beprovided with a system of endless gripping conveyors some of which willclamp the strip material at locations spaced apart along an edge thereofand hold it positively at the required position and speed during eachcross cutting operation, while others of these conveyors will acceleratethe separate sections away from one another and then carry them awayindividually to suitable points of delivery.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description andthe accompanying drawings of illustrative embodiments thereof. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rotary cross cutting apparatus according tothe invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are plan views of modifications of the apparatus of FIG.1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic views, respectively, of a special form ofstrip material imprinted so as to be cut into signatures having bleedpages, and of a signature cut from this material;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views of modifications of the cross cuttingapparatus which adapt it for the cutting of a strip material such asthat of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a system of gripping conveyorscoaicting with the cutting apparatus; and

FIG. 9 is an elevational view, partly in section, of one of the grippersprovided on some of the conveyors.

The invention as illustrated in FIG. 1, is embodied in a rotary crosscutting apparatus adapted for cutting relatively thick continuous stripmaterial M1, such, for examp le,'as a collection or assemblage of manyprinted webs or ribbons advancing to the apparatus at high speed to becut into sections such as signatures for the production of booklets,magazines or the like.

The apparatus includes a rotary knife carrier or cylinder :10 arrangedfor continuous rotation about a fixed axis at 12 and a counter rotatingcarrier or cylinder 58 for a backing member or backing and clampingmember 56 which coacts with a knife 14 of blade for-m carried by theknife carrier. As shown, counter-rotating drive rollers 16 propel thestrip material continuously in a substantially straight path extendingto and through a cutting zone Z lying substantially tangent to theperipheral surfaces 10a and 58a of the two cylinders, and a square cutis made entirely through the material upon each movement of the knife 14through this cutting zone. While only one knife is shown, it will beunderstood that two or more knives or the like may be mounted andoperated similarly at locations spaced apart about the circumference ofthe knife cylinder.

The knife 14 is fixed to one end of an arm 20 which is pivotedintermediate its ends on a pivot pin 22 carried on one end of thecoupler link 24 of a four bar linkage indicated generally at 26. Theother end of the knife arm 2% is provided with a threaded bore 28 intowhich a bolt 30 is screwed. The shaft of bolt 30 is passed through anoversize bore 32 in the coupler link 24, and a coil spring 34 on thebolt shaft is compressed between a nut 36 on the end of the bolt and thebody of the coupler link 24 so as to urge the arm 20 and knife 14continuously in counterclockwise direct-ion relative to the pivot pin 22and thus hold the knife blade strongly yet yieldab le in cuttingposition.

The four-bar linkage 26 includes (1) the coupler link 24, (2) a rockerlink 40 carrying pivot pin 22 at one end and connected at its other endto a shaft 42 pivotally mounted in end structures of the knife cylinder10, (3) a driver link 44 which is formed as the forward arm of a lever47 fixed to a shaft 46 rotatable in such structures,

and (4)a follower link 45 provided by the backward arm of said lever.The driver link 44 and coupler link 24 are interconnected by pivot pin48. The follower link 45 carries a rotatable cam follower 5t) riding ina cam track 52, shown by phantom lines in the drawing, which is mountedin a fixed position, in well known manner, adjacent to one end of thecylinder 10. It will be evident that as the cylinder 10 is rotated theposition of the cam follower 50 relative to the axis 12 and the positionof the knife 14 relative to the cylinder undergo changes in accordancewith gradations of the profile of the cam track 52 and attendantdisplacements of the knife as produced by the four-bar linkage 26through rocking motions of lever 47 about the axis of shaft 46, relativepivotal motions of links 44 and 24 on pins 48 and 22,

and accompanying movements of rocker link 40 about the axis of its shaft42.

The profile of the cam track and the dimensions and mounting points ofthe elements of the four-bar linkage are so interrelated that in eachrevolution of the knife cylinder the knife 14- While being carried alongthe cutting zone Z is thrust across the path of the strip material M1and is maintained throughout its travel thereacross in a cutting path orplane lying perpendicular to the material and advancing through thecutting zone at a speed in the direction of travel of the materialtherethrough that is precisely equal to the speed of movement of thestrip material.

This speed equalization is assured for all speeds of the material by thefact that the linkage keeps the speed of advancement of the blade orcutting path of the knife in the said direction in a constant proportionto the angular speed of the cylinder, While the rollers 16 or othersuitable means for propelling the strip material keep the materialadvancing at a speed bearing a constant relation to the angular speed ofthe cylinder.

When the cut is to be perpendicular to the material, as in theembodiment shown, the knife edge is moved blades to undergo a clockwiserotation, about its cutting edge as the axis, opposite in direction andequal in angular magnitude to the counterclockwise rotation of cylinder10. In this way the required perpendicularity of the cutting path ismaintained throughout the travel of the knife through the cutting zone.

Further, the linkage 26 thrusts the cutting edge of the knife bladeacross the path of the strip material at a speed that is substantiallyconstant in the direction of this cross cutting motion, so that thecutting edge acts in essentially the same manner upon every part orlayer of the strip material lying across its path and thus will make aclean, even cut entirely through the material as the material and theknife advance together through the cutting zone.

The attendant path of movement of the knife edge, considered in relationto space, is a straight line inclined across the cutting zone Z from oneto the other end thereof as indicated at 54 in FIG. 1.

The dimensions, parameters and proportions of a rotary linkage providingthe described motions of the knife in an apparatus of given size can becomputed by known methods of kinematic synthesis. For a method adaptableto this computation see Freudenstein and Sandor, On the Burmester Pointsof a Plane, Transactions of the American Society of MechanicalEngineers, Journal of Applied Mechanics, March 1961.

Similar considerations apply to the provision of the linkageshereinafter described for moving material engaging parts of the backingand clamping members 56 and 60 along the cutting zone in strictly linearpaths at precisely the speed of the strip material being cut.

The backing and clamping member 56 on the second cylinder 58 serves asan anvil to sustain the strip material M1 against the thrust of theknife 14. This member is positioned by another four-bar linkage 62, ofwhich member 56 constitutes a coupler link, so that upon each revolutionof cylinder 58 about its axis at 60 a support surface 90 of member 56will be moved into butting relation to one side of the material enteringthe cutting zone Z as the knife is about to cut-into the opposite sideof the material. The support surface 90 then is moved along the cuttingzone in this same relation to the material and the cutting plane of theknife, and at precisely the linear speed thereof, throughout the cuttingoperation.

The linkage 62 includes: (1) member 56 as the coupler link; (2) a rockerlink 64 pivotally mounted at one end on a shaft 66 carried in endstructures of cylinder 58, the other end of this link being connectedbypivot pin 68 with a part of member 56; (3) a driver link 71 formed asone arm of a lever 73 fixed to a shaft 72 pivotally mounted in such endstructures, link 71 being connected with a part of member 56 by pivotpin 74; and (4) a follower link 70 provided by the backward arm of lever73. The follower link 70 carries a rotatable cam follower 76 riding in acam track 78, shown in phantom lines, which is mounted in a fixedposition adjacent to one end of cylinder 58.

The rotation of cylinder 53 synchronously with the knife carrier carriesthe shafts 66 and 72 in continuous circular motion and carries the camfollower 76 continuously along its track 78, thus causing the linkage 62to dispose the support surface 90 of member 56 in the position shown infull lines in FIG. 1 when it reaches the cutting zone and to holdsurface 90 in this same position relative to the strip material and thecutting plane of the knife 14 during its travel tangentially along thecutting zone to the location shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. Thesurface 90 thus gives constant backing support for the strip material tosustain it against the thrust of the knife throughout the length of the5 elongated cutting zone required for the even movement of the knifeentirely across a thick body of strip material advancing through theapparatus at high speed.

Further, backing member 56 in the apparatus of FIG. 1 not only givesbacking support for the material but also serves as a clamping memberwhich coacts with a similar clamping member 60 carried by the knifecylinder 10. The two clamping members converge upon the strip materialas they reach the cutting zone so as to grip the material at the leadingside of the cutting path of the knife and to advance the material'in aperfectly straight path from one end to the other of the cutting zone.Further, in the form shown they serve to guide the knife moving throughthe material so that the knife will be assured of making an even squarecut and will out not merely by compressive cutting action but also byshearing the gripped material along the trailing edge 94 of the clampingmembers.

The clamping member 60 is formed as the coupler link of a four-barlinkage 80 arranged in the same manner as but in mirror symmetry to thelinkage 62 of cylinder 53. The linkage 8i) further includes a rockerlink 82 pivotally mounted by shaft 81 and connected with member 60 bypivot pin 82a, and a lever 83 fixed to shaft 87 with one of its armsforming a driver link 85 pivoted to member 60 by pin 85a and itsbackward arm forming a follower link 84 that carries a rotatable camfollower 86 riding in a fixed cam track 88.

The respective trailing edges 94 and 96 of the clamping members 56 and60 are maintained in lateral alignment during their movement along thecutting zone so as to define in contiguous relation to the fiat forwardface 38 of the knife blade a plane that is kept perpendicular to thepath of the strip material. The knife blade is pressed constantlyagainst the edge 96 of member 60 by the force of spring 34. This edgetherefore serves as a guiding surface for the cutting motion of theknife. The knife blade slides over it in perpendicular relation to thestrip material, so as to pass over the edge 94 of member 56, in themanner of a shear blade, as the knife is thrust through the material bythe linkage 26.

When the clamping members 56. and 60 have reached the forward end of thecutting zone, which in the apparatus shown is approximately at thelocation of a plane joining the axes of the two cylinders, the cuttingedge of the knife blade 14 has been passed entirely across the .path ofthe strip material and a slight distance beyond it, so as to lap overthe trailing edge 94 of member 56 as indicated by the broken lineshowing of these elements in FIG. 1. The continued rotation of thecylinders then moves the knife 14 and clamping members 56 and 60forwardly along and angularly away from the path of the strip material,and finally it returns them, by the action of suitable falling portions(not shown) of the, cam tracks, to positions in which they will convergeto grip and out another section or signature from the strip material asabove described when they again reach the cutting zone.

When the strip material to be cut is strongly resistant to the cuttingaction, as in the case of a relatively thick assemblage of collatedpaper webs or ribbons, it may be advantageous to provide additionalmeans for maintaining the cutting knife in accurate alignment with thematerial and the backing member. A modification of the describedapparatus provided with means of this nature is shown in FIG. 2 of thedrawings.

In this modification, a male guide element in the form of a tooth 104 ismade integral with a backing member 56a corresponding in other respectsto member 56 on the cylinder 58 of FIG. 1; and a complementary femaleguide element 196 in the form of a yoke to receive the tooth 104 isprovided by spaced arms 108 which are made integral with coupler link24a of the knife operating linkage 26a, and which carry rollers 110 attheir free ends.

Link 24a and linkage 26a correspond in other respects to the structures24 and 26 of FIG. 1.

As the knife and clamping members of this modified apparatus approachthe cutting zone, the tooth 104 is moved into the yoke 1%, its convexlycurved lateral faces coming into firm rolling contact with the rollers110 on the free ends of the arms 1%. When the knife starts to cut andthroughout each cutting operation the tooth and the rollers areinter-engaged, substantially as illustrated in FIG. 2, so as to hold theknife quite firmly and securely in the required cutting plane as it cutsthrough the strip material.

While the cutting zone Z in the form of apparatus shown terminates atapproximately the locus of the plane joining the axes of rotation of thetwo cylinders it) and 58, the several systems of linkages and cams canbe so located and proportioned that the cutting zone will be insymmetrical relation to that plane. Such an arrangement maybeadvantageous for some uses of the invention, because of its tendency tominimize torsional vibrations that otherwise may occur in the apparatusunder severe Operating conditions.

The modified apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is similar to the embodiment ofFIG. 1 excepting that, in place of the backing member 56 having aclamping surface 90 formed with a trailing edge 94 to coact with theknife edge, a backing member 98 is provided which presents a cuttingblock 99 across the cutting path of the knife, so that the knife willcut through the strip material largely with compressive cutting action.The block 99 is made of a rigid substance, such as a closely grainedhardwood, strong enough to hold the strip material in place against thethrust of the knife and yet soft enough to be penetrable by the knife atthe end of its cutting stroke. The backing member 98 as shown not onlycarries the cutting block 9 but also has a clamping portion 1% whichpresents a clamping surface 102 coacting with the clamping surface 2 ofmember 100 to grip and move with the strip material while the materialis being cut by the knife.

While the knife 14 as shown has a straight edge for severing the stripmaterial into separate pieces or sections, knives of other forms can beused, and cuts of other forms can be made through the material. Forexample, a knife having an interrupted edge, as of saw-tooth type, canbe used to form interrupted cut lines through this material at regularintervals.

By virtue of the basic mode of operation of the invention as hereinabovedescribed, various kinds of cross cutting operations can be performedthrough suitable modifications of the coacting knives and backingmembers carried by the linkages of the cutting cylinders.

Among the desirable applications of the invention is the cutting of acontinuous strip material of the form shown schematically at M2 in FIG.4 to produce separate sections or signatures of the nature indicated atS2 in FIG. 5. This strip material is an assemblage of printed and foldedpaper ribbons or webs on which the printed areas run to the edges of thesignature pages to form what is known in the trade as bleed pages. Theprinted areas normally are separated by gaps such as indicated at T inFIG. 4. These must be removed when forming the'signatures, as by makingtwo parallel cuts across the strip material at locations CC near theedges of each gap. For this purpose a modification of the cross cuttingelements of the nature shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 may be utilized foreach cutting operation.

According to FIG. 6, a knife arm 2% operated similarly to arm 29 of theembodiment of FIG. 1 carries two knives 120 and 122 having their cuttingedges spaced apart by the distance of the gap to be cut out of the stripmaterial in each cross cutting operation. The opposing faces 121 and 123of these knives are held aligned with and substantially parallel to thetrailing and leading side faces, respectively, of a rigid anvil member125 of tonguelike form that protrudes into engagement with one side ofthe strip material M2 from a backward extension 124 of a backing member56b that in other respects is similar to member 56 of FIG. 1. Thereference numerals suflixed with the letter I; in FIG. 6 designate partswhich correspond in function to parts in FIG. 1 designated bycorresponding numerals without the sufiix.

It will be evident that the two knives and 122 in the modification ofFIG. 6 will make parallel cuts perpendicularly across the strip materialM2 during each passage of these knives through the elongated cuttingzone of the cross cutting apparatus. Each of these knives acts inessentially the same manner as the single knife 14 of the embodiment ofFIG. 1. Each movement of the two knives across the path of the movingmaterial to the side faces of the anvil member 125 severs a narrow gapportion T from the material and produces a separate signature St, thegap portion meanwhile being constrained against displacement with theknives by its engagement with the top face of the anvil member. In otherrespects, the modification of FIG. 6 operates in essentially the samemanner as the apparatus of FIG. 1.

The modification shown in PEG. 7 also makes use of two knives 12d and122. It does so in essentially the same manner as the structure of FIG;6 excepting that in FIG. 7 the knives cut through the strip material bycompressive action against the resistance of a cutting block 99c bearingagainst the opposite side of the material. This cutting block is similarto cutting block 99 of the modification shown in FIG. 3, and it coactswith each of the two knives in the manner described in reference toknife 14 and block 99 of FIG. 3.

For various uses of the described cross cutting apparatus it isadvantageous to assure more positively that the strip material will bepositioned properly during its travel into and through the cutting Zoneof the rotary cylinders and that the separate sections or signaturesformed by the cutting operations will be carried away from the cylindersas fast as they are formed, for delivery into stacks or collectors orfor further processing into finished products such as magazines, booksor the like.

These functions may be attained according to the invention by a systemof endless gripping conveyor-s as shown schematically in FIG. 8 of thedrawings.

The crosscutting cylinders in FIG. 8 correspond essentially to thoseshown at 10 and 58 in FIG. 1. The strip material is fed continuously tothese cylinders by propelling rollers 2G9 and 201 from which thematerial passes in an upright on-edge posture to endless grippingconveyors 202 and 204 which positively grip and position the materialalong its upper edge during its travel through the cutting path. Theseparate sections or signatures S1 formed by the cutting operations arethen passed one after another from the conveyors 2M, 2% to acceleratingconveyors 240 and 242 which grip each section by facial contact, andthen onward individually to suitable points of delivery by end grippingconveyors 244 and 246 and further edge gripping conveyors 25d and 252.

The gripping conveyors 202 and 204 are endless belt conveyors arrangedat opposite sides of the desired cutting path of the strip material M1.Each of them has an inner flight which lies above and parallel to thatpath and is driven continuously in the direction of travel of thematerial at a speed always equal to the peripheral speed of the rollers200, 291 and the cutting cylinders. For example, each conveyor istrained about pulleys 205 and 296 at the backward and forward ends ofits inner flight, either of which may be a driving pulley. As shown, anouter flight between those pulleys passes about an idler pulley 207 heldconcentric with the related cutting cylinder by a top member 208 andbearing 269 on the cylinder, and each pulley 205 is driven through gears210, 211 and 212 located at the lower end of the related cylinder, thegears 212 having the same pitch diameter and the same peripheral speedas the cutting cylinders.

The conveyors 202 and 204 carry sets of grippers G, preferably arrangedin pairs, which are spaced apart so that the gripper or grippers of eachset will engage a portion of the strip material that is to become aseparate section Sfl, and so that the knife 14 and members 56 and 60 ofeach cross cutting mechanism will act upon the material at locationsbetween those of the sets of grippers engaging the material.

A suitable construction of the grippers G is shown in FIG. 9.

Each gripper G has a body member 220 that is firmly secured to the belt204 or 202. The lower end of this member defines a relatively fixed jaw221 that coacts with a relatively movable jaw pivoted to the body memberat 223.

An actuating rod 224 is pivoted at its lower end to the movable jaw, asat 225, and passes near its upper end through a guide 226 on member 220to a pivotal connection at 227 with one arm 228 of a lever fulcrumed at229 on the upper end of the body member. The other arm 231 of this levercarries a cam follower 232 that rolls along an overhead cam track 233. Acompression spring 234 surrounding rod 224 and bearing constantlyagainst a collar 235 on this rod urges the jaws 221 and 222 stronglyinto clamping relation to an upper edge portion of the strip material,or of a section S1 cut from the material, when permitted so to do by thecontour of the cam track 233.

Through movement of the gripper G along a portion of the cam track thatsuitably depresses the follower 232, the rod 224 is lifted against thecompression spring 234, thus lifting the movable jaw 222 away from jaw221 to an open position in which jaw 222 lies entirely above the upperedge of the strip material, as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 9.

Accordingly, whenever any of the grippers G carried by one of theconveyors 202 and 204 is moved about the backward pulley 205 into theinner flight of the conveyor, a suitable cam track located above theconveyor holds the gripper in open position until its movable jaw haspassed over the top edge of the strip material M1 to the farther sidethereof, its fixed jaw thus being brought into contact with the nearerside thereof. Then the track releases the follower, whereupon the spring234 brings the two jaws 221 and 222 into strong gripping engagement withan upper edge portion of the material.

The sets of grippers G are so located on the conveyors 202 and 204 thata set on one conveyor is followed by a set on the other conveyor intoand along the cutting path of the strip material. At least two sets ofthe grippers are always advancing with the inner flights of theconveyors, so that each section S1 cut from the strip material continuesto be gripped and positioned by a set of grippers G engaging its upperedge until these -grippers reach the forward end of the conveyors. Atthat point a cam track such as track 233 depresses the follower 232 soas to open the movable jaw of each gripper and let the conveyor beltcarry the gripper away from the cut section and about pulley 206 intothe return flight of the conveyor.

Meanwhile, the leading end of the cut section has been propelled intoengagement with the inner flights 241 and 243 respectively of theaccelerating conveyor belts 240 and 242. These flights grip the sectionat its opposite sides and propel it forwardly at a speed greater thanthat of the strip material M1, thus creating a space between thetrailing edge of the accelerated section and the leading edge of thenext section being cut from the strip material.

The forward pulleys of the accelerating belts are concentric with thebackward pulleys 245 and 247 respectively of the end gripping conveyors244 and 246. The latter carry end grippers G2 suitably spaced apartthereon, and they are so synchronized with the other conveyors that uponthe arrival of the leading end of each accelerated section S1 at thepulleys 245, 247' an end gripper G2 on either conveyor 244 or conveyor246 will be passing around the related pulley 245 or 247 in a relativelyopen position so as to receive the leading end of the acceleratedsection in a pocket between this gripper and the conveyor belt. Then, asthe gripper advances into the inner flight of the belt carrying it, itcloses upon the end of the section to grip the same tightly and carrythe section along that flight.

The end gripping conveyors extend divergently away from their backwardpulleys, with their respective inner flights lying below and alignedwith the inner flights of of the latter comprises sets of grippers G ofthe character hereinbefore described, which are so arranged relative tocoacting cam tracks (not shown), that as each cut section 51 is carriedpast the backward pulley 251 or 253 of conveyor 250 or 252 a set of twogrippers G on the latter will be moved into clamping engagement with theupper edge portion of the section. The successive cut sections S1 thusare brought alternately under the control of divergent conveyor flightswhich grip the sections along their upper edges and carry them awayindividually to suitable points of collection or delivery.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention may beutilized in various other ways. It is not intended to be restricted toparticulars of these embodiments except as required by a fairconstruction of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwise in asubstantially straight path through a cut ting zone, comprising a rotarycarrier carrying a cross cutting knife,

and means on and operated by rotation of said carrier for moving saidknife across the path of the strip material and maintaining the knifethroughout its travel across said path in a cutting path lying at aconstant angle to said material and advancing through said zonetangentially to said carrier at a speed in the direction of travel ofsaid material that is precisely equal to the speed of said material andin a constant proportion to the angular speed of said carrier,

whereby said knife will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of the material.2. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwise in asubstantially straight path through a cutting zone, comprising a rotarycarrier carrying a cross cutting knife, and means on and operated byrotation of said carrier for moving said knife across the path of thestrip material and maintaining the knife throughout its travel in saidpath in a cutting path lying perpendicular to said material andadvancing through said zone tangentially to said carrier at a speed inthe direction of travel of said material that is precisely equal to thespeed of said material and in a constant proportion to the angular speedof said carrier,

whereby said knife will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material perpendicularly to the faces of the material.

3. Apparatus for cross cuttingstrip material traveling lengthwise in asubsantially straight path through a cutting zone, comprising 'a rotarycarrier carrying a cross cutting knife,

and means on and operated by rotation of said carrier for moving saidknife across the path of the strip material and for maintaining theknife throughout its travel in said path at a constant speed in thedirection of its cutting path and in a cutting path lying at a constantangle to said material and advancing through said zone tangentially tosaid carrier at a speed in the direction of travel of said material,precisely equal to the speed of said material,

whereby said knife will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of the material.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means on said carrier includinga four bar linkage having a coupler link on which said knife is mountedand having a driving link carrying a cam follower positioned on a fixedcam surface by rotation of said carrier.

5. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwisethrough a cutting zone, comprising a rotary carrier at one side of thepath of the strip material and carrying a cross cutting knife,

a second carrier rotating counter to said knife carrier at the otherside of said path and carrying a backing member to engage said materialand resist displacement thereof by said knife,

means on and operated by rotation of said knife carrier for moving saidknife across said path and maintaining the knife throughout its travelin said path in a cutting path lying at a constant angle to saidmaterial and advancing through said zone at a speed in the direction oftravel of said material that is precisely equal to the speed of saidmaterial and in a constant proportion to the angular speed of said knifecarrier,

and means on and operated by rotation of said second carrier forbringing said backing member into engagement with said material at alocation near the region of action of said knife and moving said backingmember through said zone in continuation of such engagement at a speedin said direction that is precisely equal to the speed of said materialand in a constant proportion to the angular speed of said secondcarrier,

whereby said knife will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of the material.

6. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwisethrough a cutting zone, comprising a rotary carrier at one side of thepath of the strip material and carrying a clamping member and a crosscutting knife,

a second carrier rotating counter to said knife carrier at the otherside of said path and carrying a clamping member to coact with saidclamping member on the knife carrier,

respective means on and operated by rotation of said carriers forconverging said clamping members in said zone so as to clamp saidmaterial tightly therebetween and for moving said members through saidzone in continuing clamping engagement with said material each at aspeed in the direction of travel of said material that is preciselyequal to the speed of said material and in a constant proportion to theangular speed of its carrier,

and means on and operated by rotation of said knife carrier for movingsaid knife across said path and maintaining the knife throughout itstravel in said path in a cutting path lying near to said clampingmembers and at a constant angle to said material and advancing throughsaid zone at a speed in said direction that is precisely equal to thespeed of said material and in a constant proportion to the angular speedof said knife carrier,

whereby Said knife will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of the material.

7. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwise in astraight path through a cutting zone, comprising a rotary carrier at oneside of the path of the strip material and carrying a clamping memberand a cross cutting knife blade,

a second carrier rotating counter to said knife carrier at the otherside of said path and carrying a clamping member to coact with saidclamping member on the knife carrier,

respective means on and operated by rotation of said carriers forconverging said clamping members in said zone so as to clamp saidmaterial tightly therebetween and for moving said members through saidzone in continuing clamping engagement with said material at a speed inthe direction of travel of said material precisely equal to the speed ofsaid material,

and means on and operated by rotation of said knife carrier for movingsaid blade across said path and maintaining the blade throughout itstravel in said path in a cutting plane which lies perpendicular to saidmaterial and is advanced through said zone at a speed in said directionprecisely equal to the speed of said material,

said clamping members having lateral surfaces aligned in said zone in aplane perpendicular to said path and said knife carrier having meansthereon for pressing said blade constantly against at least one of saidsurfaces to hold it to the plane thereof as it is moved across saidpath,

whereby said blade will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material perpendicularl to the faces of the material.

8. Apparatus for cross cutting strip material traveling lengthwisethrough a cutting zone, comprising a rotary knife carrier at one side ofthe path of the strip material and carrying a clamping member and across cutting knife blade,

a second carrier rotating counter to said knife carrier at the otherside of said path and carrying a backing member to engage said materialand resist displacement thereof by said blade, said backing memberincluding a clamping portion to coact with said clam ing member and ananvil portion to sustain the cut of said blade,

respective means on and operated by rotation of said carriers forconverging said members in said zone so as to clamp said materialtightly between said clamping member and said clamping portion and formoving said members through said zone in continuing clamping engagementwith said material at a speed in the direction of travel of saidmaterial precisely equal to the speed of said material,

and means on and operated by rotation of said knife carrier for movingsaid blade across said path to said anvil portion and maintaining theblade throughout its travel in said path in a cutting plane lying at aconstant angle to'said material and advancing through said zone at aspeed in said direction precisely equal to the speed of said material,

whereby said blade will cut straight through relatively thick, rapidlymoving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of the material.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, said anvil portion comprising acutting block penetrable by the cutting edge of said blade.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, said clamping member having alateral surface in a plane contiguous to said cutting plane for guidingsaid blade and said knife carrier having means thereon for pressing saidblade constantly against said surface as it is moved across said path.

11. Apparatus according to claim 5, further including complementary maleand female positioning elements one of which is connected for movementwith said knife in a fixed position relative thereto and the other ofwhich is connected for movement with and in a fixed position relative tosaid backing member, said positioning elements being arranged tointerengage and hold said knife and said backing member in accuratealignment during movement of the knife into and through said cuttingzone.

' ting zone, comprising a rotary carrier carrying an assembly of twocross cutting knives having their respective cutting edges held spacedapart and at the ends of substantially parallel cutting faces,

and means on and operated by rotation of said carrier for moving saidassembly across the path of the strip material and maintaining theassembly throughout its travel across said path in a cutting path lyingat a constant angle to said material and advancing through said zonetangentially to said carrier at a speed in the direction of travel ofsaid material that is precisely equal to the speed of said material andin a constant proportion to the angular speed of said carrier,

whereby said assembly will cut straight through relatively thick,rapidly moving strip material at a certain angle to the faces of thematerial.

13. Apparatus for cross cutting a continuous strip material, comprisingmeans including oppositely positioned endless conveyors carryinggripping elements for gripping the material at locations spaced apartalong an edge thereof and propelling it in an upright on-edge posture ina straight cutting path,

rotary cutting cylinders disposed on vertical axes at opposite sides ofsaid path to engage the opposite sides of said material,

means for counter rotating said cylinders at a peripheral speed alwaysequal to the speed of said conveyors,

one of said cylinders carrying a first clamping member and a crosscutting knife blade and the other of said cylinders carrying a backingmember, including a second clamping member, to resist displacement ofsaid material by said blade,

respective means on and operated by rotation of said cylinders forconverging said clamping members 'against said material so as to clampthe material tightly between them and for moving said clamping membersalong said path in continuing clamping engagement with said material ata speed precisely equal to the speed of said material,

means on and operated by each rotation of said one cylinder for movingsaid knife blade across said path to said backing member at a locationbetween locations of said gripping elements and for maintaining theblade throughout its movement thereacross in a cutting plane lying at aconstant angle to said material and advancing through said zone at aspeed in the direction of travel of the material precisely equal to thespeed of said material, whereby to form separate sections from themoving material by successive cuts made straight through the material,

and means driven in synchronism with said cylinders and said conveyorsfor accelerating, each away from another, the successive sections soformed and issuing from said path and for carrying said sectionsindividually away from the cutting apparatus.

No references cited.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR CROSS CUTTING STRIP MATERIAL TRAVELING LENGTHWISE IN ASUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PATH THROUGH A CUTTING ZONE, COMPRISING A ROTARYCARRIER CARRYING A CROSS CUTTING KNIFE, AND MEANS ON AND OPERATED BYROTATION OF SAID CARRIER FOR MOVING SAID KNIFE ACROSS THE PATH OF THESTRIP MATERIAL AND MAINTAINING THE KNIFE THROUGHOUT ITS TRAVEL ACROSSSAID PATH IN A CUTTING PATH LYING AT A CONSTANT ANGLE TO SAID MATERIALAND ADVANCING THROUGH SAID ZONE TANGENTIALLY TO SAID CARRIER AT A SPEEDIN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID MATERIAL THAT IS PRECISELY EQUAL TOTHE SPEED OF SAID MATERIAL AND IN A CONSTANT PROPORTION TO THE ANGULARSPEED OF SAID CARRIER, WHEREBY SAID KNIFE WILL CUT STRAIGHT THROUGHRELATIVELY THICK, RAPIDLY MOVING STRIP MATERIAL AT A CERTAIN ANGLE TOTHE FACES OF THE MATERIAL.